10 Ways WWE Is Killing WrestleMania

2. The Quest For Mainstream Acceptance

Goldberg Mania 33
WWE.com

WrestleMania was erected on such foundations, but the desperate and transparent need to spike mainstream news traffic has bled too heavily into the fabric in recent years.

At WrestleMania 32, Zack Ryder of all people captured the Intercontinental Title because he'd taken a picture with new IC champion Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X. When Scott Hall was around for 'Mania Weekend in Dallas, it allowed WWE to replicate it. The already fleeting WrestleMania Moment had become a meme. The literally painstaking efforts of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were in vain. They had to settle for a subplot.

This year, Mojo Rawley - a non-starter of a professional wrestler - was afforded the win in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal because he used to play football and a known football player helped him. It garnered WWE, what, a brief glimpse of mainstream coverage? One completely forgotten about when The Undertaker retired at the show's close?

The match doesn't matter. It is stigmatised as a hindrance - but the trend is disturbing. Braun Strowman might be alright - it is inevitable that his push will be reset - but in this era of fitful booking, it takes little to erase a performer's aura.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!